Abstract
Cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx have been diagnosed at an advanced stage in many patients because the clinical symptoms are often obscure. Although the endoscopists guide the endoscope through the oral and laryngopharyngeal regions at the time of an upper digestive endoscopy examination, it has been difficult to detect superficial squamous cell carcinoma. Narrow band imaging (NBI) combined with magnifying endoscopy clearly enhances the microvascular structure of the mucosal surface. NBI is a promising and potentially powerful tool for identifying early stage carcinomas in the oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal regions during a routine endoscopic examination. Effective examination may make it possible to reduce the number of patients who have to lose their speaking and swallowing function following radical surgery. If more early stage cancers can be detected by this screen, the prognosis of oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers might be improved in the near future. We offer herein some guidance on how to conduct a thorough examination in the oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal regions to offer earlier detection of cancers.
